Thanks for visiting my blog. As co-founder of the BeyeNETWORK, acquired by TechTarget in 2010, I am privileged to participate in many industry-related activities as a BeyeNETWORK expert covering business intelligence and analytics. These events provide me with a unique insider perspective into the business intelligence ecosystem, its products and the vendors that provide those products. I'll be sharing that invaluable information with you through this blog, which will also be a reflection my business philosophy. And, just to make this interesting, I'll be sure to include my personal point of view on a wide range of topics and share some of the stories of people I meet in my travels.

Ron, an independent analyst and consultant, has an extensive technology background in business intelligence, analytics and data warehousing. In 2005, Ron founded the BeyeNETWORK, which was acquired by Tech Target in 2010. Prior to the founding of the BeyeNETWORK, Ron was cofounder, publisher and editorial director of DM Review (now Information Management). Ron also has a wealth of consulting expertise in business intelligence, business management and marketing. He may be contacted by email at rpowell@wi.rr.com.

Recently in Business Performance Management Category

I recently interviewed Michael Howard of C9 and we discussed how C9 is solving one of the most difficult problems facing large organizations today, which is in predicting revenue. By integrating both operational and big data sources within an application, most CFOs and financial organizations can more accurately predict future revenue numbers and mitigate earnings surprises that hamper many private and public companies today. The application is currently being utilized by some of the biggest companies today for predictive analytics - they include Google, Pandora and LinkedIn. Click here to listen to this podcast now or read it here.

Adaptive Planning and the Business Performance Innovation Network recently release the results of their quarterly survey of finance executives. One of the findings of the survey was that improving planning, reporting and analysis is the top challenge for finance organizations. I think you'll find some of the other survey finding interesting too. You can view the survey (PDF) here.

Do you talk "directly" to your customers before you begin new product development. More importantly, do you really listen to them? If you do, you're bound to see profits increase.

That's what I learned when I read New
Product Blueprinting: The Handbook for B2B Organic Growth by Dan Adams. It's a book that you'll want to read so that you can be sure that your product development processes aren't mired in old-fashioned methods.

In addition to
thoroughly explaining the benefits of directly involving your customers in your
product development processes, Dan even provides 7 steps you can begin using
right away.

I also really

liked Chapter 8 on using
customer interviews for a competitive edge. For me, reading Dan's book was time well spent for me, and I'm sure it will be for you too.

Here's your chance to have your voice heard and then to receive a copy of this important research on business performance management.

Did you know that reports consistently show that business performance management (BPM) ranks in the top three as a priority in business intelligence (BI), along with data warehousing and data quality. Yet, according to a Gartner study, through 2011 at least 50% of companies implementing BPM systems will fail to improve performance management processes across the organization. The BeyeNETWORK and DecisionPath Consulting are conducting research on the power that the combination performance management and business intelligence can provide, and your input will help the report authors understand current adoption and usage of these technologies.

Qualified survey respondents will get a copy of the research report and a $5 Amazon gift card in appreciation for your time and input. Please click here to take the survey.

I read something this week that merits sharing and reinforces why business performance management is so critical during challenging economic times. In February of this year, a poll - the Business Volatility and Variables Survey - was conducted by Adaptive Planning and the Business Performance Management Forum. Financial executives were polled, and here are some of the survey findings.

Fifty-one percent of these financial executives predict a "W-shaped" recovery, up from 46 percent a quarter ago, and 72 percent expect that a recovery will not occur until the second half of 2010 or later. Additionally, 67 percent expect that a meaningful improvement in jobs will not occur until 2011 or beyond.

Respondents have brighter expectations for their companies than they do for the overall economy. More than half (55 percent) expect revenue growth for their company over the next six months, while 25 percent expect to add jobs - more than the 17 percent that project jobs growth from the broader economy in the next two quarters.

A number of factors indicate that small and midsized companies could lead the way out of the recession. Employee growth expectations in the next six months are about three times higher in the small (31 percent) and midsized (27 percent) company sectors than for large organizations (only 10 percent). And midsized organizations are much more upbeat about the future, with 49 percent expecting economic improvements in the next six months versus only 34 percent of large companies.

Consistent with previous quarterly results, overall economic uncertainty remains high, particularly with smaller companies (61 percent) and midsized companies (50 percent) versus large organizations (39 percent). Nearly half (49 percent) came in under their revenue plan last quarter, though some of this was offset by lower than expected expenses (36 percent). Economic uncertainty and ongoing underperformance versus plans continue to drive an increased need for frequent scenario planning and what-if analysis, with 59 percent expecting to do so more often next quarter.

"Taken together, these results illustrate an extremely mixed outlook for both the economy and corporate performance over the foreseeable future," said William A. Soward, CEO of Adaptive Planning. "While there are downside risks from a possible double-dip recession, there is also the potential for upside surprises, given the fact that the company-specific outlook is brighter than that for the overall economy. In either case, the successful companies will be those that are able to plan for multiple scenarios, closely monitor their actual performance, and respond quickly to changes in their business and operating environments."